A Greek court on Thursday acquitted 24 humanitarian workers and volunteers accused of espionage and facilitating illegal migration, ending a grueling seven-year legal battle that human rights groups condemned as the criminalization of saving lives.
The Three-Member Felony Appeals Court of the Northern Aegean cleared all defendants, including prominent activists Sarah Mardini and Seán Binder, of charges related to their search-and-rescue operations on the island of Lesbos between 2016 and 2018.
Mr. Binder, a trained diver, and Ms. Mardini, a Syrian refugee whose journey inspired a Netflix film, faced potential prison sentences of up to 20 years. Prosecutors had alleged their nonprofit, Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI), functioned as a smuggling ring.
However, the judges accepted the defense’s argument—supported by the prosecutor’s final recommendation—that the group acted solely to prevent loss of life during the height of the refugee crisis. The court found no evidence of financial gain or criminal intent.
“This decision is a vindication,” said Nassos Karakitsos, a co-defendant who had spent months in pre-trial detention.
Mr. Karakitsos and his colleagues had long argued the trial was politically motivated. The UN Human Rights Office previously warned the prosecution could have a "chilling effect" on humanitarian work at Europe’s borders.
While the felony chapter is closed, the ruling marks a significant pushback against the prosecution of aid workers in the Mediterranean, reinforcing that lifesaving assistance is not a crime.